Using equipment finance can be key to business growth

Upgrading or obtaining new equipment can be key to business growth, whether it’s increasing efficiency or expanding your offering. However it’s important to make sure the equipment is acquired in the most financially advantageous way for your business.

There are three steps to making your equipment purchases more productive for your business now, and in the long-run:

Know the numbers and spend wisely. Ask yourself questions like; does this equipment help my business run more efficiently? Will it allow me to expand my customer base? Will it help me create new offerings? If you answer positively to these questions, the equipment will likely be money well spent towards generating new revenue.

Understand government schemes you can take advantage of. The Instant Asset Write-Off Scheme means you can instantly claim deductions for depreciating assets worth up to $20,000, which has been extended to June 30, 2019.

Use equipment finance to claim further tax deductions on interest payments while building equity in a business asset. When your business uses a loan to purchase a piece of equipment, the interest payments are tax deductible for the life of the loan. You can also pre-pay interest into subsequent financial years to claim in your current year. As a guide, the interest you pay plus the depreciation of the asset is tax deductible as to how your business uses the asset.

Financing equipment and vehicles also helps keep working capital in the business. So how could this work for you?

“The great thing about vehicle and equipment finance is that the equipment acts as security for the loan,” advises James Watson, director at FundingPro, “This means you can borrow 100% of the equipment value and maintain your working capital at the same time. This also makes applying easy and funding quick. Being able to access the right equipment for your business, without being limited by how much spare cash you have, means you are able to unlock new opportunities and bring in more customers to create growth”.

Watson outlines another added bonus, “In addition to creating opportunities and taking advantage of tax deductions, any equipment you purchase is considered a business asset and can therefore help you gain funding in the future for further growth.”

To give you an idea of how you could make equipment finance work for you, let’s look at Scott’s business:

Scott owns a bakery and is looking to upgrade his ovens. Instead of pulling cash from other areas of the business, or using his personal assets as security, he opts for an equipment loan where the new equipment acts as security. This way, Scott is able to take advantage of the Instant Asset Write-Off Scheme as the ovens are less than $20K and also claim the interest payments over the life of the loan. He is also able to serve customers faster and save on energy costs, allowing his business to generate more revenue and continue to grow.

There are as many uses for equipment loans as there are businesses in operation, including:

Vehicles and fleets

Updating worn or out-of-date technology or equipment

Factory or commercial machinery

Specialist equipment, including the medical and hospital sectors

Equipment and tools for trades

Construction and mining equipment

General office equipment including computers, printers and phones

Technology, including servers, laser cutters and 3D printers

Hospitality equipment such as appliances and kitchen tools

Retail tools such as point-of-sale equipment and CCTV cameras

When it comes to funding, it’s important for businesses like yours to consider how their purchases are serving their business’ growth. Strategic equipment purchasing, utilising tax deductions and considering equipment finance means your business can look forward to fresh revenue streams and growth opportunities without jeopardising the effectiveness of your surplus cash.

Getting fast, simple equipment finance is easy when you use the FundingPros. Contact us or apply now and a senior loan advisor will be in touch to tailor a loan for your business.

The information in this article is of a generalised nature, it is important that you obtain individual tax advice for your own small business.